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Study Analyzes ER Visits Related to Acetaminophen Overdose to Support Development of Prevention Strategies
Over 78,000 emergency department visits annually were associated with non-abuse-related overdoses of acetaminophen, according to a recent study. Using nationally representative data from 2006, investigators hoped to better understand acetaminophen-related ER visits to support the development of appropriate overdose prevention strategies. The study concluded that 70% of the acetaminophen-related ER visits were a result of self-directed violence primarily among teens and young adults, 13.4% were due to unsupervised ingestion by a child aged 6 or younger, and 16.7% were due to unintentional or accidental medication mistakes with most of those involving overuse for medicinal effects. The authors present some overdose prevention methods, such as use of blister packages to lower the amount of medication ingested in cases of impulsive self-directed violence, and incorporating flow restrictors on liquid medications to help prevent overdose by young children. Further, it is noted that educational campaigns and other interventions could help promote limiting children’s access to the medication and promoting safe use of over-the-counter medications in young adults and safe use of acetaminophen-opioid combination drugs by older adults. “Emergency Department Visits for Overdose of Acetaminophen-Containing Products,” is available on the Web site of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
NABP is partnering with several agencies – such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, and the Acetaminophen Awareness Coalition – in various efforts aimed to raise awareness of the risks of acetaminophen overdose. As part of the FDA effort, the agency is providing free Web site widgets, one targeted to consumers and one targeted to health care providers, that can be used by boards of pharmacy and other agencies and organizations to provide acetaminophen information via existing Web sites.
